Hiffiiiiiiiiiiiii.

　Hot water.
　White steam.
　As if enjoying them, Al-san had an ecstatic expression on his face.

　This is an open-air bath built in the village of the spirit race.
　Right now, it's reserved for me and Al-san.

　Why do we have these things?
　The answer is that Al made it as a hobby.

How did this happen...?

　I can only turn my head in the direction of the day after tomorrow and avert my gaze from Al-san.
　I just want to talk to Al-san, but I find myself getting caught up in the forceful pace of the conversation and taking a bath with him.

　I know it's a breach of etiquette, but I had a towel wrapped around my waist.
　However, Al didn't have a towel wrapped around his waist.
　Hiding it is a shameful thing to do!
　

　I can't look directly at him.
　We can only talk about it while looking in the direction of the day after tomorrow.

''Hmm........ku.......puhaaaaah!　After all, it's good to drink in the bath!　It's paradise!

　Al brought his drink into the bath and drank it with a happy face.
　That's what a playboy does....

Do you want a drink, Rain?
No, no. I'm good.
Really?　You don't have to be shy, do you?
It's not that I don't want to refrain from... I mean, why are you taking a bath?
Don't you know?　You know what they say. It's important to keep up with the naked crowd.

　How do you know that story?
　Mr. Al, are you actually a people person?

Here, have a drink.
No, because...
'Do you mean to tell me that you can't drink from a mistress?
Tangled drinks?

　You're such a pain in the ass when you're drunk, you know that?

I'm going to have something important to say to you now, so I can't drink, as expected.
Hmm, you must have something important to tell me.

　Mr. Al gets serious, too.
　I thought he was drunk, but apparently not so much.
　Come to think of it, the spirit race is very good at drinking.

''Then let's make this our last drink.

　Mr. Al took a swig of liquor down his throat and...

Well then, let's hear what you have to say.

　He said this with a scowl on his face.

You can try to tell me something important. I'm angry with the human race because of this incident, but I will listen to what Rain has to say.
Well, I'm not...
I'm not going to blame Lane for anything, okay?
'What?　Um, what did you mean by those words...?
Hmm?　Well, that's just what I meant. I have no intention of blaming Rain, as a mistress.
Uh ... a few more details.
Haha, that was a bit too mean. I teased you because Rayne seemed to care about it.

　
　It wasn't your last drink....

I know that Sora and Luna were treated badly because of what happened. Rain thinks it was her fault.
How could you...
'You want to ask me how I knew?　Hmmm, you haven't lived long. It's not so easy to know what a child is thinking.

　For Al, who has lived for over 100 years, I'm like a child?
　Well, you would be.
　I can't help but chuckle.

I've not been with them for a long time, but I can tell that Rayne has a serious personality. I don't know the reason for this, but I'm wondering if this is my own fault. Sora and Luna the problem wouldn't have happened if you hadn't brought everyone else into the fold?　That's what you're thinking, isn't it?
Ha, did you see the whole thing...

　Chuckle again...
　Then, with a sigh, he exposes his heart.

'But ... that's not something I realized on my own. A little bit of stuff happened that made me realize it... Anyway, I didn't think about it. Even after this whole thing happened, I didn't notice it, I didn't think about it.
"Hmm.
'We all take it for granted that everyone else is there... without questioning it... even if it's in danger... haha. Oh.

　The words don't come together well.
　Instead, all I can do is sigh with an inexplicable self-loathing.

　I've met everyone and traveled with them.
　We have been adventurers.
　We thought of each other and felt a bond with each other.
　There was no doubt about that.

　However.

　By being together, they were putting everyone at risk.
　This is a good example of that.

　Is what I'm doing the right thing?
　If you really think about everyone else, wouldn't it be better to get rid of the party?
　Yuki's words to me triggered me to think about all those things.

　The truth is, I should have realized that on my own.
　I didn't notice it until Yuki told me... or maybe I just looked away.
　I'm too comfortable now, I'm happy...
　Maybe I've been spoiled by everyone.

　I .....

Here.
There he is!

　With a pop, Al-san gives me the keys to the game.
　It's surprisingly powerful, and I felt a little dizzy.

What are you doing...?
You look like you're lost in an endless stream of unimportant details.
It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter...!
It doesn't matter.

　'I dare you,' Mr. Al assured him, 'it's a trivial idea.

It's a trivial idea. Or perhaps it's more of a pompous idea.
Is it too much to ask...?
'Why should Lane be responsible for everything?　You think you're a guardian of sorts, don't you?　Well, if they're all children of lesser age, they're certainly responsible for their actions but that's not the case. We are all adults. We all bear the responsibility for our own actions. That is the norm, and Rain doesn't need to be concerned about it.
But...
Hm?　But Nina, the daughter of the gods, is still a child. She may have some responsibility for that, but still, she is a great adult at heart. You are prepared to bear the responsibility for your own actions, don't you? It's presumptuous to blame yourself for all of this.

　Al-san's words echoed deep in my chest.
　However, that wasn't enough to resolve my worries; rather, it was like I was lost in an even deeper maze...

　What should I do?
　I was lost again.